Cousin Maude

cheek and called her his "little wife." He had passed through the ceremony remarkably well, standing very erect, making the responses ve

along upon his sorrel horse had ascertained the size of his fee, feeling a little disappointed that it was no

to go, she comforted the child by telling her what she would bring her in the autumn, when she came. Half a dozen dolls, as many pounds of candy, a dancing jack, and a mewing kitten were promised, and then the faithful creature turned to the weeping bride, who clasped her hard old hand convulsively, for she knew it was a long good-by. Until the carriage disappeared from

lf a while in watching the fence and the trees, which she said were "running so fast toward Janet and home!" Then her dark eyes would scan curiously the faces of Dr. Kennedy and her mother, resting upon the latter with a puzzled expression, as if she could not exactly understand it. The doctor persisted in calling her Matilda, and as she resolutely persisted in

es were black as night. A jolt of the cars caused Maude to lay her chubby hand upon the shoulder of the elder boy, who, being very fond of children, caught it within his own, and in this way made her acquaintance. To him sh

layed with the little girl, who, though very gracious to both, still manifested so much pr

ude's childlike answer, as s

ner, "you like my cousin the

the speaker's face, and looking intently into his eyes, she ans

go on. By doing so he would reach home near the close of the next day, beside saving a large hotel bill, and this last was with him a very weighty reason. But he did not say so to his wife; neither did he tell her that he had left orders for his carriage to be in Canadaigua on the arrival of the noon train, but he said "he was in haste to show her to his daughter-that

ully expected to pass by daylight through the Empire State, and she had thought with how much delight her eye would rest upon the grassy meadows, the fertile plains, the winding Mohawk, the drone-like boats on the canal, the beautiful Cayuga, and the silvery water so famed in song; but, in contrast to all this, she was shut u

frowned at the crying Maude, and tried to soothe his weeping wife, until at last, as the face of the latter was covered, and the former grew more noisy and unmanageable, he administered a fatherly rebuke in the shape of

y dared to tell her that he had thus early taken upon himself the government of her child, she

s eye was an old-fashioned carryall, which her husband honored with the appellation of carriage, said

e rack of the carryall, and heard her husband bid him hurry, as there was no time to lose. "I must have a cu

ich had long been pending was decided in his favor, and that the house and lot of a widow would probably come into his possession. "Certainly, two cups if you l

ing Maude away from her mother, he took her to a restaurant, where he literally crammed her with ginger-bread, raisins

master, "if you please, Miss Nellie say how you must fotch her so

llie a paper of peanuts and for Hannah a ten-cent calico apron, after which he pronounced h

ing of rest stole over her, and she fell into a quiet sleep, from which she did not awaken until the c